Innocent Atrocities: Shoreline
by Gin van Geovanni
Summary: What do you do when a future couple is not a couple yet? You go to the beach! Prepared to be annoyed!
1. Chapter 1

Notice:

Hello darlings, it's me Gin van Geovanni!

So I'm putting Repose on hold right now I'm sorry to anyone who likes it, but I've got nothing right. I honestly have buckets of bare-knuckled NOTHING! I'm really sorry for that. So these two will be going on simultaneously particularly because I keep getting ideas for them at the same time, and because one is a crossover with a game that I'm currently playing (trust me, playing and writing in this case helps a lot, considering it doesn't have the same feeling if I delay it. With this particular one I'm going to try something slightly different and that is partially because it's Innocent Atrocities, the only fanfic bit I'm personally able to laugh at (except for Endrance's chim face moment).

Well, that's enough out of me, on to the stuff!


	2. Chapter 01

Yo, I'm here with something new again! This time it's the prequel to Innocent Atrocities . . . Well, at least it's more of Haseo and Azure Kite's silliness. On top of that, I'm going to show how Amelda and Azure Kite know each other.

**Innocent Atrocities: Shoreline**

**By Gin van Geovanni**

**Chapter 01**

_**/ ∆ Calling Eternity's Oasis /**_

_One, two, three skip, one, two, three, skip, one, two, splash. _Azure Kite calmly skipped stones across the oasis. Each ripple caused the sky's reflection to distort. Haseo sat next to him watching the stones skip. Endrance was napping with his head in Haseo's lap. Now and then Azure Kite would shoot irritated glances in Endrance's direction. Endrance noticed. "Kite . . ." He opened one crimson eye. "If you did not want me to join your party, then perhaps you ought to have said something. "

'I tried to, but you're such a busybody that I didn't get the chance!' Azure Kite chucked a stone at a tree in front of Endrance. It ricocheted off the tree and would have hit Endrance square between the eyes if he had not caught it. He tossed the rock aside and nodded back off with a triumphant smirk on his face.

Azure Kite growled under his breath and narrowed his eyes.

"Y'know, Endrance has a point," Haseo remarked. "If you wanted to form a party with just me, then you could've said something." He chuckled. "Endrance isn't so possessive of me that he'll prevent me from hanging out with my friends on my own."

Azure Kite continued to glare at Endrance.

Endrance opened his eyes again. "Perhaps Kite is angry because he was planning on doing that."

Azure Kite looked incredulous; Haseo looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"If he was given the opportunity, Kite would lock you in a box and only open it when there was no one else around."

_/No I wouldn't! / _Azure Kite fumed.

"I apologize; you would lock him in a _room_."

_/SHUT UP! /_

Haseo listened quietly thinking. 'I wouldn't mind being in a place where I can only see Kite . . . that sounds . . . interesting.'

"Oh Kite," Endrance smiled. "You may be a small, quiet soul, but deep down you know that you're little more than a selfish child."

Azure Kite's hair bristled and he leapt at Endrance. The blade brandisher shifted out of the way, pushing Haseo out of harm's way in the process. The knight landed on his face and jumped up even angrier than before. He lunged at Endrance several more times. Haseo tried to mediate "Hey, Kite c'mon cut . . .!" Before he could finish the teal-haired AI crashed into him and they both fell in the oasis with a loud _splash_.

Haseo emerged first; his clothing clung tighter to his body than usual and his hair fell over his eyes. His wet locks reflected brightly in the sunlight. "Now look at this, we're both soaked!" Haseo brushed his hair from in front of his eyes. Just like Haseo, Azure Kite's clothing clung tightly to his slender body and his hair veiled his eyes. His back was slightly hunched and he held his arms in front of his body much like a wet cat. 'That's . . . pretty cute . . .' Haseo thought as he crossed the oasis; Azure Kite stared at him apprehensively. Endrance watched them with a spark of interest.

When Haseo was closer to the knight he lifted his hand. 'I know Kite . . . he knows what I'm going to do, and he's probably not going to let me do it . . . even so, I may get lucky . . . I may be able to . . ." The tips of his fingers managed to touch the top of knight's head. Azure Kite flinched, but otherwise did not object.

Haseo attempted to hide his rather victorious smile as he smoothed Azure Kite's hair out.

Endrance folded his arms. "Silly Haseo . . . it is quite obvious that he likes Kite . . . he acts differently around him, and he certainly like to _find_ ways to be around him . . . it is quite endearing to watch, if not slightly annoying because he won't _tell_ him.' He laughed when he noticed that Haseo had not stopped petting Azure Kite's head. The knight's cheeks were red, but Haseo did not notice. 'Kite is equally as silly . . . he is quite a patient soul . . . in fact there are moments when I think that he is being too patient. Even so, I suppose that his extremely calm and unassuming attitude is better than having an uncontrollable temper . . . especially with his power . . . Of course none of it matters when he is near Haseo. The little guy cannot control himself, and he knows why; he told me so. I wonder what's stopping him from telling Haseo.' Endrance was about to drift back off to sleep, but he heard footsteps. It was Kuhn.

Haseo did not notice him. He was too busy frizzing up Azure Kite's hair with both hands.

"Hey guys." Kuhn waved, he raised an eyebrow and Haseo and Azure Kite. "Haseo, what are you doing?"

Haseo reacted like a child who had done something wrong "Nothing!" He dropped his hands, inadvertently dropping Azure Kite underwater. "Whoops . . ." He attempted to untangle his hands from the knight's hair and accidently pulled out a rather large clump of it. He slowly backed out of the water then bolted out of sight. Moments later the water began to boil then Azure Kite leapt out and darted after him.

Endrance sighed Kuhn was absolutely dumbfounded. "What . . . just . . . happened . . .?" He asked.

"The usual . . ." Endrance replied.

"Excuse me?"

"This brand of nonsense happens regularly. They will be all right in a few minutes . . ."

All a sudden, a loud wail sounded throughout the canyon. It sounded like Haseo. Kuhn winced. "Shouldn't we uh . . . do something?"

"_They will be fine." _Endrance reassured. His tone of voice suggested, "_Don't interrupt Kite."_

They suddenly saw Haseo return; he was limping. "Ow . . . that hurt . . . that maniac . . ." A loud _clang_ sounded as something bounced off the back of his head and rolled at Kuhn's feet. He picked it up; it was one of the plates that were usually hooked onto the back of Haseo's pants. Kuhn's eyes widened as Endrance merely said. "Poor Kite that must have been a lot of hair you uprooted."

"What do you mean 'poor Kite'? I'm the one getting beat up over an _accident_!" Haseo barely dodged the other disk. "It wasn't entirely my fault!"

Azure Kite growled, causing Haseo to dart behind Endrance. "Now, now, Kite you are much more calm than this, besides that _was_ an accident."

Azure Kite snorted. _/THAT HURT! And look at how much hair is in his hand! /_

Endrance looked down at the thick wad of hair in Haseo's hand. Kuhn took note of a red welt near Azure Kite's bangs. 'That is quite a lot of hair . . . did he pull all of that out by the roots . . .?' Aloud he said. "Kite calm down . . . and let it go . . ."

Azure Kite dropped down on the ground far from Haseo.

Endrance sighed. Kuhn sidled in between them. "Haseo . . . did you actually _apologize _for what you did?"

"What was that?" Haseo peered from behind Endrance's arm.

"Did you think about apologizing to Kite? Believe it or not people can get upset if a person does not apologize. And that even goes for accidents."

"Well . . . I didn't really . . . think about it that way . . ." Haseo said sheepishly.

"Well then, there's your answer. You now know why Kite's so upset. He's got a nasty red lump on his head and you're acting like you're not responsible for it."

Haseo crawled from behind Endrance and up to Azure Kite. "Uh, hey Kite . . ."

Azure Kite turned his head slightly. _/What? /_

Haseo squirmed slightly. "Y-y'know I didn't pull your hair on purpose . . . right?"

Azure Kite looked at him through one eye; he looked mildly annoyed as opposed to his previous anger. He did not reply.

"Hey . . ." Haseo (who just does not seem to learn) petted his head. "I'm sorry about yanking your hair out like that . . . so can you please stop being mad at me?"

The knight's eye twitched. _/I don't know . . . /_

"Aww c'mon, I really didn't mean it!"

Azure Kite deftly raised his hand and swatted Haseo's hand away. _/Okay, okay, I forgive you, now can you please stop patting my head? You keep hitting the place where my hair was pulled! /_

Haseo slowly pulled his hand away saying. "Sorry . . ."

'Am I somehow making things worse?' Kuhn thought, bewildered at the spectacle he was witnessing.

Endrance seemed to fill in the blanks again. "It is taking longer than usual, but Haseo will say the right thing _eventually_. Now then, Kuhn you had something to say?"

"Well . . . wait shouldn't we wait for them to sort things out?"

"No."

"All right . . . I got an e-mail from Pi about a new event. It's going to be a summer festival, and it's gonna be a very big deal considering CC Corp is collaborating with KaibaCorp."

"KaibaCorp is the world's largest gaming corporation, so that would make this upcoming event a big deal . . . but . . . why?" Endrance looked thoughtful.

"I've heard that the CEO of KaibaCorp, Seto Kaiba, plays the game . . . after all, he is a gaming fanatic."

"Why did he choose now to open an event?"

Kuhn shrugged. "It's his choice, I guess he just felt like now was a good time."

"Also, why does Pi want us to know that?"

"She wants the members of G.U. to be on standby, just in case something strange happens."

"Does she honestly think that something bad will happen?" Endrance cocked an eyebrow.

Kuhn shrugged again and grinned. "You know as well as I do that _anything _can happen in this game."

_/You don't have to worry about that. / _Azure Kite interjected.

"Oh, Kite you heard all that?" Endrance turned to the knight with a mildly surprised look in his eyes.

_/Yes and I'm saying not to worry about any of that; I'll cover you. /_

"And so will I!" Haseo shouted. He had both arms wrapped loosely around Azure Kite's neck.

Azure Kite closed his eye in the direction of Haseo's voice. _/Ouch . . . and no . . . I'll handle it on my own. /_

"No you won't!" Haseo raised his voice.

_/PLEASE stop shouting in my ear. / _Azure Kite looked up gingerly at Haseo. _/This is an event for the players, and I'm meant to protect the players, therefore I'll take care of everything. You just enjoy yourself./_

"I'm not gonna accept that!" Haseo tightened his grip. "You deserve to take a break too y'know!"

_/Well, technically I'm doing that now. /_

"That's not good enough! You work harder than anyone at CC Corp and the only thing you have to show for it are dark circles under your eyes! If you can't get paid for what you do then you can at least take a long vacation. I don't think that Aura would mind if you did."

_/Now you're just being silly; even if I could get paid for protecting the players, there's no way I could accept it, it's not in my nature to./_

"You're too nice for your own good . . ." Haseo muttered.

Azure Kite sighed and shook his head.

Endrance spoke up. "Kite, if you do not wish to go then you just have to say so."

The knight's eye twitched. _/I never implied something like that . . . /_

"You may not have been obvious about it, but I can tell from your excuses that you don't want to go. That fact that there is some truth in your statements simply makes it easier for you to lie."

_/You've got it all wrong! /_

Haseo suddenly sat in front of Azure Kite; he looked him right in the eye and said. "Regardless of your reason, if you won't go then I won't go either."

All eyes were on Haseo.

He looked around. "Why are you all looking at me like that? I just don't think that it's fair that Kite is alone most of the time. I don't mind making a small sacrifice if it means hanging out with my friend."

'No matter how many times he calls me his friend it still feels a bit . . . surreal . . .' Azure Kite thought. 'I guess I'll just be in a state of disbelief every time he says it.'

"I suppose you have a point . . ." Kuhn said slowly. ". . . But don't you think you're going a bit too far?"

"It's just a beach. In the real world I'm a mere bus ride away from one." Haseo replied in a no-nonsense tone. "I can go whenever I want as long as it's not too cold."

'That may be the case, but he cannot go there without _Kite_.' Endrance thought.

Azure Kite seemed to be thinking the same thing. _/Haseo . . . you shouldn't make such a hasty decision. /_

'I've made up my mind." Haseo said flatly. "I'm hanging out with you during the event, so be sure to let me know what you decide to do on that day."

_/Haseo . . . /_

"That's my final word on the matter."

Kuhn watched their word exchange. " . . . Is there something that I'm not getting?" He whispered. Endrance leaned over and told him about Azure Kite and Haseo's situation. "I thought so . . . I hope Kite doesn't have to wait too long for Haseo; he may start to lose interest."

"I doubt that, Kite has an amazing amount of endurance, although I must admit he may be to blame for the wait as well. To be honest, it feels like they're waiting for something . . . All of the signs and opportunities are there, but neither one is seizing the moment . . . it's almost as though they are afraid to say the _wrong _thing."

"But how will they know what the _right_ thing is if they don't speak up?"

"That, my friend, is their ultimate problem."

"You've got a point."

"Hey, Kite, what do you think they're whispering over there?" Haseo whispered to Azure Kite. The knight simply shrugged.

_**Chapter 1/End

* * *

**_

I apologize in advance for any inconsistencies between this story and the first Innocent Atrocities. To be honest, this idea came first, and it was meant to connect with the end of Repose (kinda like Blueberry Filling and Little Blue Bunny). However somewhere down the line I decided to let it be a part of IA sense it contains copious amounts of Amelda, and it seemed a bit too humorous to follow Repose which has its moments but over all feels subtle.

And about Haseo's glomping Azure Kite . . . well inside and outside of the world of fiction, girls tend to glomp each other for no reason when talking or they just sit real close to each other. I figure that there are probably some guys that do it but don't like to admit it.


	3. Chapter 02

Hi there, dear readers! How are you? I hope you enjoy the show!

**Innocent Atrocities: Shoreline **

**By: Gin van Geovanni**

**Chapter 2**

_**/ City of Eternity, Mac Anu**_

_**Alchemy District /**_

Three days had passed, and the day for the summer fest was drawing near. Azure Kite had not yet made up his mind, and he begun to worry. Haseo was not badgering him about it, but the knight felt as though he should have given an answer by now. He took off his gloves and dipped his hands into the water fountain. 'I want to go . . .' He thought. 'But when I look at this . . .' He held both hands up, causing his sleeves to fall down to his forearms. His arms were stitched together in two places and his wrists were stitched to his arms. His hands were slender and there was a ring of stitches around his left index finger as well as a split in his middle fingernail. His hands were calloused from handling his swords. 'I may have to go bare-armed, and I don't think I could handle people staring or even cringing at me.'

He attempted to lower his arms, but they did not budge. Someone was holding them up. Azure Kite craned his neck to see two sliver eyes looking down at him. These eyes belonged to a man with crimson hair. "Well, well, well, would you look at that . . ." He said in a voice that was edgy, but not sharp. "I knew that your clothes are stitched together, but I would've never expected your body inside to be stitched up as well!"

Azure Kite's entire face turned red with embarrassment, and he tried to pull his arms free. However, the man tightened his grip; barely managing to hold onto him. "Hey, calm down, Stitches I'm not going to hurt you."

'What did he call me?' Azure Kite fumed then lifted his legs up high enough to kick the man in the stomach and send him flying into the fountain. Then the knight bolted. The redhead sat up and shook his head. 'Ouch . . . that was a mean kick, and I actually felt it . . .' He grinned. 'I'm even more interested in him than before . . . I think I'd like to be friends with him . . .'

_**/ Mac Anu: Dome /**_

Azure Kite sat on the stairs to the dome's front door. 'What the hell was wrong with that guy? He was so weird . . .'

All of a sudden, Haseo's voice sounded in his ear. "Hey there, Kite, what are you up to?"

_/Ah, Haseo, sorry I'm not at the meeting place . . . I ran into this guy, and he was kinda strange, so I decided to relocate./_

"I see . . . what did he do?"

_/I was just soaking my hands in the fountain when he grabbed my arms, I was more surprised that I didn't notice him as opposed to him just grabbing me. /_

"Okay let me get this straight are you more concerned about him grabbing your arm, or the fact that you didn't sense him?"

_/It's a mixture of both. /_

"Oh I see, did he say anything to you?"

_/Well . . . he said something that made me feel a little . . . self-conscious . . . /_

Haseo flared. "What did he say?"

_/I . . . I can't say . . . / _Azure Kite shifted uncomfortably then floated away. Little did he know that he had left his gloves at the fountain and when he floated away with his hands behind himself Haseo took notice.

"Kite . . . did you leave your gloves behind?" Haseo inquired.

Azure Kite turned around. _/What did you say? /_

"You're not wearing your gloves, so I thought that you left them at the fountain."

_/I suppose so . . . / _Azure Kite attempted to hide his hands. _/I guess I've got no choice but to go back and get them. /_

"Why are you hiding your hands?"

Azure Kite did not reply.

"What's going on? What's wrong?"

Azure Kite stood up then floated away.

"Hey, hold up!" Haseo chased after him, thinking. 'I must have really touched a nerve . . .' He tried several times to reach Azure Kite, but only managed to grab air; it was not until they came to the harbor that Azure Kite slowed down. He turned around.

Surprised, Haseo halted.

_/Haseo . . . I need to know ahead of time . . . do you really plan on following me until I tell you? /_

"Of course I do. Then again you can either tell me what he said, show me what you're trying to hide, or tell me if you're going to the summer event or not."

Azure Kite glided off to the dock, Haseo followed. The knight swallowed and rolled his left sleeve up and held his arm out for Haseo to see. For a moment, the rogue was silent then he asked. "Kite, what happened to your arm?"

_/For the most part, both of my arms have always looked like this . . . there are some patches from some really bad injuries, but this is pretty much how I normally look. /_

"When you're injured, who does the stitching?" Haseo asked curiously.

_/Um . . . I do, unless, both of my arms are severed then Orca will usually help me out. He's actually better than me at it despite the fact that his hands are much bigger than mine. /_

"I see . . ." Haseo looked down at Azure Kite's arm again.

_/Go on, Haseo, you can ask whatever you want. /_

"Well, does it . . . does it hurt?"

_/It only hurts when they're brand new, and even then it depends on how large the wound is./_

". . ."

_/What's the matter? /_

"I shouldn't have asked . . ."

_/Remember, I let you ask, so don't worry about it. /_

"I suppose . . . you have a point . . ." Haseo looked thoughtful. "Is the rest of your body stitched up like that?"

_/Yes./_

"And is that the reason why you're taking so long to decide whether or not you want to go to the event? You think that people will find you repulsive?"

_/Yes, who wouldn't be? /_

"For starters, I'm not. I think it's pretty neat that you're stitched up from head to toe." Haseo smiled. "And if there are players that disagree then they're gonna have to rethink talking without teeth!"

_/Haseo . . .?/_

"I'm serious, Kite, I'll kick the ass of whomever talks bad about you, I promise!"

"Well, aren't you just cute?" The redhead's voice said from Haseo. Haseo jumped slightly then turned around. "Yo." The redhead waved.

". . ."

"What's up?"  
Haseo turned back around to Azure Kite. "Is this the guy you ran into earlier?"

Azure Kite nodded.

The rogue turned back around to the redhead. At first he glared then he looked the man up and down. 'What is he wearing?'

The redhead was wearing a tight-fitting muscle shirt that barely covered his chest; black low cut pants, and steel-plated boots. Chain-like wavemarks spiraled across his neck, arms, and waist. There were also chains wrapped around his pants and boots; his belt was made completely out of chains. There was a black ring in his lip.

Haseo turned back to Azure Kite. "Kite, please explain to me how in hell you didn't notice him? You should've been able to _hear_ him!"

Azure Kite gave him a dead-eyed look. _/I know that . . . /_

"Yoo-hoo, hello . . . guys?" The red haired man waved his arms. "Have you guys forgotten someone?"

"Butt out!" Haseo snapped. "On top of that he looks as weird as you do! _I _wouldn't have even taken him seriously!"

_/ . . . I told you his comment hit a sore spot for me . . . /_

"Wow, an insult from a guy that weird is making you angry now?" Haseo shrugged and chuckled. "Kite, you really need to take a break and cool off."

_/I don't want to hear that from you Haseo! /_

'I never insulted him . . .' The redhead looked mildly confused. "Ah, I think you misunderstood my comment . . ."

"You're still here?" Haseo snapped.

The red-haired man ignored him. "Well, your friend left something at fountain, so I thought I'd return it." The redhead reached into his pants pocket and produced Azure Kite's gloves. "And apparently I have to apologize for what I said earlier." He bowed slightly. "My tone of voice tends to leave the wrong impression even in real life . . . I tend to sound much more condescending than I intend to."

Azure Kite slowly took his gloves back. _/ . . . Um . . . thanks . . . I think . . . /_

"You really are different; down to your text messages . . . Hold on . . . can't you speak?"

Azure Kite shook his head while Haseo's expression dared the redhead to have a problem with that fact. _/No I can't . . . /_

"Well, it's no problem for me. By the way, my name's Amelda," He held out his hand. "And who are you?"

Azure Kite slowly shook his hand. _/Call me Kite. /_

"Nah, I like calling you 'Stitches' more." Amelda laughed and quickly dodged when the knight took a swing at him. "Heh, heh, I'll see you later." He waved again and left.

Haseo placed his hands on his hips. "That rude bastard; he just ignored me!"

_/I don't know . . . He seems ok . . . / _Azure Kite tilted his head to the side.

"Kite . . ." Haseo looked at him incredulously. "He almost sent you into a spiraling depression . . . How can you be so forgiving?"

_/You were mean to me and I'm friends with you. In fact I'm really good friends with you despite what you put me through./_

Haseo looked everywhere but in Azure Kite's general direction. "I see your point . . ."

Azure Kite merely looked at Haseo. Then he got a message. It made him groan.

"What's the matter?" Haseo inquired.

_/It's Amelda . . . he's asking me if I'm going to the summer fest . . . /_

"Tell him no."

_/Oh stop it Haseo. /_

"What?" The rogue snapped. 'I don't want him near you!' He fumed then briefly cocked an eyebrow. 'Where did that thought come from?' All of a sudden another thought came to him. "Hold on, how does he know about that? And how does he know that _you_ know?"

_/He didn't know that considering he sent me the information for the event. It seems like he knows more about the event than Kuhn did. /_

"I repeat, how does he know that?"

_/Hold on, I'm asking him . . . um . . . he says that he knows people, and that's all I need to know. /_

"What kind of people?"

_/. . . He just said 'people' . . . oh and he says that the dust bunny at my side needs to mind his own business./_

Haseo narrowed his eyes. "Tell him this 'dust bunny' will kick his ass if he gets to close next time!"

Azure Kite sighed. _/Grow up, will you? /_

"In your words: 'I don't want to hear that coming from you'."

Azure Kite's eye twitched and Haseo simply laughed. _/. . . Oh, hey he says that he might tell me if I tell him that I'm going to the event or not. /_

". . . You're going to answer him today?"

Azure Kite froze. _/Well, yeah, I mean I was going to answer you today so I figured that I may as well kill two birds with one stone./_

"Okay . . . out of curiosity would you have said 'yes' if I hadn't known about the way you look?"

_/It's hard to think about . . . I would've answered you eventually . . . but then the 'skin' thing got in the way and . . . / _as he went on Azure Kite began to squirm, his cheeks even began to tinge a very light shade of pink. _/I just . . . needed enough time to tell you . . . /_

"I guess 'til the event was too little time, huh?" Haseo smiled sadly.

_/Well . . . I just didn't want to disappoint you . . . that's all . . . /_

"I had no idea what I thought meant so much."

_/ . . . Neither did I . . . / _Azure Kite turned his head. _/Anyway . . . I'm . . . going . . . okay? /_

"R-really . . . you're gonna go?"

_/Yes . . . and don't get me wrong, I would've agreed anyway, my incentive just . . . wasn't strong enough . . . / _as Azure Kite made this statement he sent an agreement message to Amelda.

"I know which was why I wasn't trying to pressure you."

_/I noticed, even so I still felt bad for making you wait. /_

"Ah, well I would've given you till the actual event for an answer, heck I would've waited for an answer during the event."

Azure Kite's face turned red. 'What the heck is wrong with me today? I'm really off kilter.' He covered his face. _/What's wrong with you, Haseo? Why would you even want to consider doing that? /_

". . . I have my reasons . . ."

Haseo's hesitant response gave Azure Kite a slight edge he even managed to stop blushing. _/Those reasons are so ambiguous that you can't tell me? / _He grinned slightly. _/I guess it's not okay for me to have a secret, but it's perfectly fine for _you_ to have a whole bunch of secrets./ _He nodded with a strange grin on his face. _/I see how it is. /_

"It's not like that!" Haseo shouted. "I'll tell you . . . just not right now . . ."

_/I'll hold you to it. / _Azure Kite smiled softly. _/Ah, Amelda sent a reply, since I answered him, he told me that he'd let me in on his 'informant'./_

"Well then, who is it?"

_/The CEO of KaibaCorp himself, Seto Kaiba. /_

"Kaiba, you say? Well, then I'd say that things just got interesting."

**.Chapter 2/ End

* * *

**

Well then, you finally know how they met . . . in my convoluted mind anyway. And trust me things are just going to get worse.


	4. Chapter 03

**Innocent Atrocities: Shoreline**

**By: Gin van Geovanni**

**Chapter 3**

_**City of Eternity, Mac Anu, Harbor Ship**_

Azure Kite stepped onto the landing dock and turned to the ship. He groaned loudly. Amelda stood on the deck of the ship with a rather smug smile on his face. "Hey there, Stitches!" He said cheerfully.

_/Stop calling me that! / _Azure Kite growled.

Amelda chuckled mischievously. "Now, now, I thought we were friends; there's no need to get hostile on me. Besides, I just wanted to talk."

_/What do you want to talk about, and why did you want to talk to me alone? /_

"Don't get me wrong I have no problems with your choice in men, but I have a feeling that your little cat and I wouldn't get along very well. To be more accurate I don't think that we'd get along right away."

_/. . . Um, what did you mean by that first part? /_

Amelda beckoned for Azure Kite to come up on deck. "We need to have a little chat; the captain's study ought to be the best place."

_/But I don't think we should go in there . . . /_

"The captain's not here and he won't be for a while, so we should be fine."

_**Captain's Room**_

Amelda sat in the captain's chair with his feet propped up on the desk. Azure Kite settled on the desktop. _/I'll ask you again, what did you mean by that earlier statement? /_

"I thought you knew I was talking about your little kitten, Haseo."

_/Haseo's not a kitten and he doesn't belong to me. / /_

"He's not your boyfriend?" Amelda looked genuinely confused.

Azure Kite's entire face glowed red. _/No he's not, and as much as I'd like for that to happen . . . I seriously doubt it. /_

Amelda attempted to not laugh. "So I was just _imagining_ him acting so catty when I got near you."

_/You think so? /_

"Oh come on, silly don't pretend as though you don't know!" Amelda grinned widely. "He's practically glued to you!"

_/That would be nice. /_

"You seem to doubt that he likes you, why would you doubt such a cute thing?"

_/I don't know . . . With the exception of a few other friends he kinda treats everyone like that. I'll admit that he's a bit more . . . protective of me lately, but that could just be because he's trying to get on my good side. I'm sticking with that theory, because . . . I don't want to set my hopes too high. /_

Amelda dropped his feet there was a serious expression on his face. "How high would you set your hopes?" He suddenly asked.

_/What was that? /_

"If you found out that you had the tiniest possible chance, how far would you be willing to take it?"

Azure Kite stared at the floor then blinked slowly.

Amelda blinked seemingly at the same time then leaned back and propped his feet up on the desk again. "Oh well," He sighed. "I thought you were bolder than this. I guess I was wrong."

Still staring at the floor, Azure Kite responded. _/That assumption you just made was wrong. /. _He narrowed his eyes. _/If I thought I had a chance I would take it. Hell, I'd grab it by the neck and never let go of it. A chance is a chance, no matter how small it is, and they ought to be taken advantage of no matter what./ _He pushed Amelda's legs out of the way and looked the redhead right in the eye. _/I'd do whatever it takes to make that chance a reality! Haseo would be mine and no one else's! / _the knight glared then backed away. _/If I had the chance, that is. /_

"Well then, that's the sort of thing I want to hear!" Amelda stood up. 'Too bad you're too dense to realize that Haseo is _already_ wrapped around your little finger . . . and the rest of your body.' He stretched and said. "Now then let's go and make that chance more obvious!"

'What does he mean by that?' Azure Kite questioned inwardly._ /How?/_

"Well, the first thing to do would be to check how quickly you catch his eye, right?"

The knight looked at the floor again. _/R-right . . . /_

"Oh don't look so depressed, he already has an idea as to what you look like, and we both know what he thinks about it."

_/I don't think he found that little display all that attractive . . . /_

"True, but he didn't find it ugly either, and it's not every day a person tells their friend that they'll beat the snot out anyone who talks bad about a few scars."

_/ I told you already-/_

"C'mere," Amelda grabbed Azure Kite's arm and dragged him out of the ship.

_**/ Celestial City: Dol Donna: Guild homes /**_

_/Amelda, what are we doing now? / _Azure Kite asked despairingly.

"You'll see," Amelda smiled slyly then handed him a card. "You'll see very soon."

Azure Kite looked at the card, it had a heavily armored grunty on it, the armor was gold. He dug into his left pocket and pulled out another card; this one had the image of Death Grunty on it. Amelda opened the gate to the guild homes and looked back. He peered at the other card in his hand. "So _that's_ the infamous Death Grunty, he's got a reputation for being bossy and sometimes cruel. Is that true?"

_/I don't know. . . I've never visited Canard before. Haseo complains about him a lot, although I think it's kind of hard to judge that way because the grunty mirrors the guild master; it'd be weird for Haseo to not complain about someone with the exact same personality./_

"You've never been to Haseo's guild?"

_/No . . . /_

"Why?"

_/I don't know . . . /_

"You're gonna go tomorrow."

_/What?/_

"Haseo's guild is 'Canard', right?"

_/Yes./_

"From what I know, a lot of people get help there, but they don't necessarily join. I'm guessing Haseo has _something_ to do with that."

Azure Kite rolled his eyes slowly. _/Probably . . . /_

"And I'm sure that even though you get along with his guild mates, they've never really thought about asking you to join because maybe they think that you're not interested."

_/That could be a reason . . . look can we just . . . go in? /_

"In a minute, this is kinda private, and no one's listening. Just allow me this last statement: Haseo invited you."

_/Yes!/_

"Then that means you should go at least once, if for nothing else but to see his reaction."

_/Why?/_

"Our little experiment is about how Haseo reacts to certain things that you do. Visiting the guild will be perfect since you've dawdled around for so long . . . Who knows, you may render him speechless.

Azure Kite looked embarrassed. _/I haven't taken that long . . . I don't think I have . . . /_

"Heh, heh, let's get going."

Amelda opened the door to reveal a lavishly decorated lobby with bright gold banners rimmed in red. There was a crimson dragon on the banners lining the walls. The wingspan of a bright gold eagle took up most of the floor. Two terraces over looked the lobby. They led to different parts of the guild home, although Azure Kite could not tell where either one went. In between the terraces was a great fountain shaded by tall palm trees. However, the trees did not shade the statue situated in the fountain's center.

The statue was of Piros the 3rd.

"So what do you think?" Amelda settled on one of the plush sofas at the entrance way. "Just to clear things up this is just one of the G.U. HQs. In fact, this one is one of the smaller ones." He crossed his legs and beckoned for Azure Kite to sit as well. "Still it serves its purpose, and today this one is perfect for what we need to do!"

_/What exactly are we doing? /_

"How many times do I have to say it; we're gonna get Haseo's attention by sight alone. A good way to do that is to change your outfit a bit."

_/No way. /_

"Aww c'mon, Stitches, it'll be fun!"

Azure Kite punched the redhead on the shoulder. _/Don't call me that! /_

"Just get used to it!" Amelda replied cheekily. "On top of that you don't have a choice with the outfit change. You need different clothes to participate in the event!" Amelda suddenly jumped up, dragging Azure Kite up to his feet as well. "And there's no way I'm letting a subject like you go to waste!"

_/Are you saying that you're my friend because I have a unique design? /_

"Hardly, there is something . . . different about you. I can't quite say what it is, but I something I haven't felt in quite a while." He smiled. "Then again, maybe I'm looking for someone to bug."

_/ . . . Where do we start? /_

"We need three outfits: First, you'll need something light to wear, just something loose fitting that you can wear over or in place of your second outfit. Your second outfit is a swimsuit, plain and simple." Amelda noticed that Azure Kite made a face at that statement and cocked an eyebrow before continuing. "Your final outfit is going to be a kimono, and I have to admit that it's gonna be fun to design that given your small build . . . Hey what's with that face?" He asked when he noticed the positively sour look in Azure Kite's eyes.

_/I suspected that swimwear would be a feature in the event, but I didn't know that it would actually be required . . . /_

"Oh, it isn't necessarily a requirement . . . not in the beginning anyway. The moment you get into the beach you can cover up or change if you want to."

_/What's the catch? /_

"You have to keep it on for at least an hour, and then you'll be allowed to change."

_/. . . I don't like this . . . /_

"Oh well, you had the chance to chicken out, but you eliminated that chance yesterday when you agreed to go."

_/I . . . I know that . . . /_

"I'm glad you get the point, so no more bellyaching from this point forward!"

Azure Kite sighed. _/All right . . . / _

Amelda smiled and led him up the left-most terrace into a spacey computer room. There was a stand in the middle of the room. Amelda settled in front of one of the screens and turned it on. "All right then," He cracked his knuckles. "It's time to get to work; first, I'll need you to stand on the stage."

Azure Kite looked apprehensively at the stage for a short moment then he stood on it.

"Next, I need you be a dear and ditch everything up top."

As if in a daze the knight reached for the top belt of his muffler, then –as though what he was doing finally set in- he stopped. _/Y-you're joking . . . . Right?/_

"Hell, no," Amelda turned around with a frighteningly stern look on his face. "Unlike the other players, whose measurements can be judged from looking at their character models, you actually have a unique body type. In order to get it right I have to do a proper scan to see what I'm dealing with!"

Azure Kite flinched back. _/I know that . . . I was going to ask you if I really had to take everything off . . .there's something . . . that I really don't want to show ANYONE else but . . ./_

"It's something that you only want Haseo to see." Amelda filled in the blank.

Azure Kite nodded slowly. _/I know I'm asking for a lot and if there's no way of getting around it then I'll just deal with it, but I'd really appreciate it if I didn't . . ./_

'Technically speaking, whatever it is won't even show up in the scan, not to mention he doesn't have to turn his back to me . . . Then again it could be a real big scar or something and it wraps around his body in some way. If that's the case then he's already thought of that –hence why he's asking-. I could be nice and make the adjustments according to how far he's willing to go . . . then again I could be mean and _not_ do that.' Aloud he said. "Just go as far as you can, 'kay?

The teal haired knight looked relieved. _/All right. /_

Out of courtesy, Amelda turned his back and shut his eyes; he opened one eye at a loud 'clang'. He looked down at the floor to see a shirt made of cracked metal. There were a few cracks in the ground as well. "Kite . . . how strong _are_ you?"

_/I'm as strong as I need to be . . . and it's about time you called me by my name! /_

Amelda grinned. "Nothing get's by you, eh, Kite?"

Azure Kite cracked a small smile. _/I'm just too sharp for you! /_

"Mentally, you just might be . . . now physically is another story. You're quite little under all that clothing."

The knight hissed. _/S-so what, what's it to ya?/_

"Oh nothing, I just wasn't expecting you to have such a . . . childish body type. Your strength just doesn't match up."

_/Amelda, this is an online game, where's your suspension of disbelief? /_

"There's nothing wrong with my suspension of disbelief, it's just taking a back seat right now. Keep in mind that for normal players, their stats dictate their strength, not their actual muscle. You are a completely different case."

Azure Kite sighed.

"What's up?"

_/It's just that . . . I'm constantly reminded of how different I am . . . I mean everyone has their differences, but when it comes to me I'm so _drastically _different that it's not even funny./_

"I don't get it."

_/What?/_

"You're a player, you're unique, and you have your own likes, dislikes, personality, and individual thoughts. Beyond that, you just have to accept who and what you are and take it all in stride. And if it's possible, be glad about who you are."

_/Right, I should be glad with the fact that I can level an entire area when I'm angry enough./ _Azure Kite grimaced.

". . ." For a moment, Amelda seemed surprised. Then he calmly said. "Yes you should be proud of what you can do; even if you can't control it. If I can accept my neurotic personality and sometimes deadly mood swings then I'm sure you can accept your short temper and the fact that you can punch a little too hard when you're angry."

Azure Kite turned his head. _/What?/_

Amelda smiled slyly again. "This may sound strange, but playing this game is calming for me, and like most people it allows me to do things that I wouldn't do in real life." He ran a hand through his bangs. "And believe me if I didn't do them in the game, I'd either be in a windowless room, or a wired chair." The redhead looked down at the floor, his expression was now unreadable.

_/Amelda . . . /_

Amelda snorted. "Well the game isn't the only reason I don't have to take those glorious options. Either way, I'm glad that I don't have to make that choice. I'm also glad that I am who I am good, bad, and ugly combined." He gave an honest smile. "You should be too, regardless of how others view you, and sometimes, even how you view yourself."

Azure Kite stared at Amelda, and then he looked down at his own hands. After a while, he looked back up with a lopsided smile on his face. _/You're right, Amelda . . . /_ 'If I didn't have the abilities I do now, then I . . . I'm not gonna think about it. . .' He thought. _/. . . Thanks for that . . . You're not as big of a jerk as I thought you were. /_

"Yeah I'm a nifty friend." Amelda said with a triumphant smile then his smile faltered slightly. "Hey . . . you're a sneaky little guy you know that?"

_/Remember, I'm friends with Endrance, on top of that the original Kite was craftier and much wittier than anyone ever realized./_

"I see . . . Oh you can put whatever you took off back on if you want to."

Azure Kite tugged at the shirt that was underneath his armor. It was a patched together weather-beaten thing that hung quite loosely on his body. The sleeves even fell over his hands, giving him a rather childish appearance. _/I'm . . . fine . . . / _The knight replied, scarcely believing his own words. _/I think I'll stay like this for a while . . . /_

"Huh, well if that's that case then you may as well finish the look."

_/What are you talking about? /_

"Let me help." Amelda walked up to Azure Kite and began to unbuckle the belts around Azure Kite's legs; when he reached the last one the hem of the pants fell a little past his ankles. "There we go!" Amelda grinned. "Wait let's do a little bit here . . ." He ruffled Azure Kite's hair so it fluffed out a little more then he used his fingernails to comb out his bangs. "And there we go! You look rather cute if I do say so myself."

Azure Kite blushed in spite of himself. He turned his head. _/Geez . . . you're so strange . . . How can you say things like that so freely . . . especially about me? /_

"Well, that's what being a friend is about. It's about being there when your friends need you, or at least making an attempt to be. It's about stopping them from doing something painfully stupid, even if you're the cause. It's also about giving your friend that extra boost of confidence when they need it." Amelda looked thoughtful. "Well, there's a whole lot more to it than that, but you get the idea, you can almost say that it's like being a family member without actually having to live with or be related to them. And I have to admit it's a full time job with an incredibly fun payoff."

Azure Kite blushed again. _/I suppose that's one way of looking at it. /_

Amelda laughed and looped an arm around Azure Kite's shoulder. "You're just surprised that someone you just met is not only unafraid of you but is willing to be friends with you, no strings attached."

_/There's always at least one string, so spill it, what's yours? /_

"Well . . . I suppose you're right . . . If you really want to call these strings then I do have a few . . ."

'I knew it . . .'

"You have a unique design I like that sort of thing. But when I actually got your attention for a few minutes I realize that you kind of remind me of someone . . . not _me_, but someone _like_ me . . ."

_/You mean like a family member? /_

For the first time, Amelda had a rather painful look in his eyes. "Well . . . you could say that . . ."

_/I see . . . /_ Azure Kite looked concerned.

Amelda noticed and while he did not smile brightly, he did smile. "You're open with your emotions like he is." He petted Azure Kite's head.

The young knight still looked worried.

"Hey don't worry, Stitches, the fact that you remind me of that person is a good thing!" This time Amelda gave an honest smile and pulled Azure Kite closer to him in a one-armed hug.

For a moment the teal-haired knight looked surprised then he smiled up at the redhead. Then something came to him and he slipped out of Amelda's hug and punched him in the arm. _/Don't call me that! /_

Amelda rubbed his arm and chuckled. "I see you had a delayed reaction; that means you're getting used to it."

_/Oh shut up. /_

Amelda laughed. A small sound caught his attention; he turned to the computer. "Oh, there's someone at the door . . . Well would you look at that!" Amelda smirked at Azure Kite in a way that made him uncomfortable. "It's your little kitten."

_/What? Why is Haseo here?/_Azure Kite panicked.

"I don't know." Amelda said slyly.

Azure Kite shot him an 'I hate you' look and began to look around for the rest of his clothing.

Amelda smiled deviously. "I told you Stitches, you're not gonna hide from the plan, I'll make sure of that." Amelda's silver eyes glinted. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure of that. Now could you be a nice guy and let our guest in?"

Azure Kite growled all the way to the door.

Haseo knocked at the door again; when he received no answer he turned his back and sat on the ground. 'That prick . . . he tricked me. He knew I wanted to hang out with Kite so he kidnapped him ahead of time . . . Still he had the courtesy to tell me where he's keeping him hidden . . . But what if he's not actually here or worse . . .' Haseo balled his fists. 'Judging by how he dresses he could've taken Kite somewhere and is doing who- knows-what to him!' He relaxed. 'Oh wait, Kite can take care of himself . . . annnd I don't honestly think that he'd do anything bad to Kite. I suppose I could just . . .' he suddenly felt a cold hand on his shoulder, the chilling sensation went down his spine all the way to his toes. His hair even prickled. "K-Kite d-d-don't do that!"

_/Sorry Haseo . . . I tried the normal way but you were really deep in thought . . . /_

"Oh . . . I suppose I was . . ."

_/What are you doing here? /_

"Well . . . I just wanted to hang out with you today . . . is that bad?"

_/Um no, just uh . . . not right now . . . /_

"Huh, are you still hanging out with that guy?"

_/Yeah, he's helping with something important, but we're almost done, so if you could just wait outside a bit longer . . . /_

"Why can't I . . ." Haseo turned around and stopped midsentence. He stared at Azure Kite. "Huh . . . he's doing a pretty good job right now . . ."

_/Actually . . . that has nothing to do with it . . . These are my regular clothes . . . /_

"Really?" Haseo walked around Azure Kite curiously. "Then why haven't I ever seen these clothes before . . .?"

_/You have . . . I've always had this shirt on under the vest and a rather heavy layer of armor . . . and the pants are the pants I always wear . . . y'know . . . without all the belts . . ./_

"Oh."

'That's all he has to say . . .?' Azure Kite thought. 'No, that can't be all he's still staring at me . . . It's kinda uncomfortable . . .'

"Y'know, you should dress like that more often, you look a lot more comfortable that way."

_/Y-you think so? /_Azure Kite tugged at his sleeves.

"Yup." Haseo smiled.

Azure Kite scuffled his feet. _/Well . . . I suppose I feel a little lighter . . . I guess I can stay dressed like this a bit longer . . . /_

Haseo simply nodded, although his lip curled ever-so-slightly as though to suggest that his real thought was: 'YES!'

_**.Chapter 03/ End

* * *

**_

- Ah this one was going to be longer but I ran out of idea for this movie set so, we'll move on to the next act. And for the record, I will introduce player number four soon enough.

- For those of you that don't know Amelda, he's not really this snarky, he does have an attitude problem, though, and he probably does have neurotic tendencies. It's not really implied in YGO, it's not really in his character description, and sense he's an anime only character you don't really get that sense from the little you see of him (outside of the DOMA arc a.k.a. Waking the Dragons). Even so, I'd take a guess that he'd have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder considering he survived a war in which both parents and his brother died. In fact, his brother dying in an air raid is part of his motivation in the show.


End file.
